My special guests today are a co-author team. I met Patricia Shinn Wojtowicz and Christine Petersen Streed at a Library Author Faire this past October.

Co-authorship is rare. I’m impressed they’ve remained friends and continue to co-author novels. I asked them to come and share how they do it.

First off, tell us how you met?

The answer to this question spans distance and time because before we knew each other, we were both members of the same writing organization—SCBWI (the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators), but Chris lived in Illinois and Patty in New Jersey. When Patty moved to Illinois in 2006, she joined the SCBWI critique group that Chris had been attending.

So what made you decide to co-author?

In 2009 we branched off on our own and began sharing and critiquing our individual writing projects. Realizing that our writing styles dovetailed nicely, we began writing…

Things I Don’t Talk About is a story of friendship, family ties, and difficult life decisions told with a bit of humor. Fern Tyler is not much of a talker. Her long-time friend, Anita, can’t stop talking. The two have an unlikely bond that has sustained them through raising children, adjusting to empty nests, and mourning the death of each of their spouses. When Fern starts showing signs that she isn’t safe in her own home, and Anita considers moving 400 miles away to be closer to her daughter, their relationship faces new challenges. In a quest for one last grab at independence, they set out on a road trip together that will test their patience, their morals, and their friendship.

Christine Petersen Streed and Patricia Shinn Wojtowicz have been writing partners since 2009. While both living in Illinois, they coauthored their first novel, Relative Disenchantment (2017). Their collaboration has recently taken on an interesting dimension—writing together, but apart. Christine still lives in the Chicago area, but Patricia now resides in Boston. Despite the distance, they co-wrote their second novel, Things I Don’t Talk About, via video conference calls. Christine and Patricia find inspiration in the milestones of life, drawing from those experiences to develop their novels.

Things I Don’t Talk About and Relative Disenchantment are both available at Amazon.com.

Streed and Wojtowicz are also excited to be among the authors who will be signing books at the White Oak Author Fest on Saturday, October 13, 2018 from 10 am to 4 pm.